Hudson man to open pop-up art show Columbus Day weekend

Sunday

Artist Timothy "Soma79" Johnson will open his first pop-up art show on Main Street Columbus Day weekend. He will have hundreds of paintings and prints for sale.

HUDSON – Something bright and colorful will be coming to downtown Hudson Columbus Day weekend.

Talented artist Timothy “Soma79” Johnson will open his first pop-up art show at the former Vic’s Barbershop on Main Street, and will display hundreds of his original paintings, drawings and prints - for viewing and for purchase.

“I’m going to have this entire placed filled,” he said standing inside the former barbershop, which recently moved to South Street. “I want to do this more moving forward.”

His work has taken many forms throughout the years, including on canvas, behind the lens of a camera as an associate producer of the award-winning short film “Across the Hall” and behind the microphone as a hip-hop artist and producer. For the last decade, as "Soma79" – his former AOL instant messenger ID turned nickname – Johnson has dedicated himself to creating new art each day.

“I was really inspired by my friends who were graffiti artists,” he said.

He spent each day in 2015 drawing a different portrait, including actors Bill Murray, John Goodman and Carrier Fisher, and Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder, to hone his skills drawing faces.

Much of Soma79’s artwork channels his early memories – including Marvel comics superheroes and his favorite rap artists. He also paints and draws animals and landscapes. His works are often very colorful and combine multiple subjects.

“I try to run the whole gamut,” he said.

Many of his works are painted on boards or even the back of old Ikea furniture.

“I try to reuse as much as possible,” he said.

Since scheduling the pop-up art show, the artist has aroused interest in downtown Hudson. "Soma79" and his website is taped in large orange letters on the Main Street storefront. He taped the letters, one each day, to intrigue downtown visitors and passersby.

“All the sudden my website got a ton of hits,” said the Framingham native.

Downtown Hudson was the ideal place for the pop-up art show thanks to the town’s recent downtown renaissance that has brought more visitors and locals to Main Street. Johnson recently moved to Hudson and hopes to be part of the town’s burgeoning arts community for years t0 come.

“The art scene is growing,” he said.

The show will be open Friday, Oct. 5 from 1 to 10 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 6 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 7 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For more information visit www.soma79.com.

Jeff Malachowski can be reached at 508-490-7466 or jmalachowski@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @JmalachowskiMW.